Office of The Secretary

Secretary Kendall Penn announces resignation from ADVA

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Major General (Retired) Kendall Penn will resign as Secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (ADVA) effective December 31, 2024.
Penn was appointed 2nd ADVA Secretary on January 10, 2023.
“I feel incredibly blessed to have had the opportunity to serve and support Arkansas veterans, many of whom I served alongside in uniform for 34 years,” said Penn.
Prior to his appointment as ADVA Secretary, Penn served as The Adjutant General of the Arkansas National Guard for three years.
Penn credits Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders for the ongoing cooperation between her office and ADVA. 
“Secretary Penn’s life has been defined by service and his latest chapter serving our veterans has been no different,” said Governor Sanders. “Kendall leaves big shoes to fill, but I look forward to building on his accomplishments as we find new ways to attract veterans to our state, serve them while they’re here, and honor them for the sacrifices they’ve made for our nation.”
“I’m proud of the progress we have made together. Our team has significantly improved veteran outreach, provided stellar nursing home care for our elderly veteran population, and significantly improved our cemetery operations,” said Penn.
The Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs is a state agency created in 1923 by the Arkansas General Assembly to connect veterans and their dependents to state and federal services. ADVA employs 300 personnel in support of Arkansas veterans and their families statewide. 
The Governor has not yet named a replacement for the Secretary.

Major General (Ret) Kendall Penn was appointed as the 2nd Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Veterans Affairs on 10 January 2023. He had previously served for over 34 years in the Arkansas National Guard, culminating as the Adjutant General, a position he held for 3 years.

Kendall’s military career began upon his enlistment in the Arkansas National Guard in May 1982 with Company B/212th Signal Battalion in Benton, Arkansas. He was later commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry upon graduating from the Reserve Officer Training Corps program at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. During his career, Kendall held every leadership position in Infantry formations from platoon leader to brigade commander, including command of 1st Battalion 153d Infantry and the 39th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, both while deployed to Baghdad, Iraq.

Kendall’s awards include the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Expert Infantryman’s Badge, the Senior Parachutist Badge, the Pathfinder Badge, the Air Assault Badge, and the Ranger Tab. Kendall received his Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and a Masters in Strategic Studies from the US Army War College.

He is a lifetime member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Disabled Veterans of America, and the National Guard Association of Arkansas. He is married to the former Amy Dawson. They have 3 daughters, Julie, Becca, and Lois and 4 grandchildren: Gus, Claire, Jed, and Roselyn.

Wayne Ruthven is the Deputy Secretary/Chief of Staff for ADVA. He is a retired US Army Colonel with 30 years of active-duty service. A military police officer, Wayne’s assignments included command of a 1200-person MP Battalion (1800 during Desert Shield/Desert Storm), as well as commanding the same unit in northern Iraq for Operation Provide Comfort. Wayne’s brigade level command was of the Fort Myer Military Community, including three separate installations in northern Virginia/Washington, DC, where he was responsible for the safety and security of more than 25 general and flag officers/families, including the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Chief of Staff of the Army, Chief of Staff of the Air Force, and other temporarily assigned four-star officers. Wayne’s final assignments while on active duty were as the Inspector General and Senior Army Advisor to the Arkansas National Guard.

Since his service in the Army, Wayne has worked in numerous homeland security, emergency management, public safety, and military affairs roles at the local, state, regional, national, and international levels. Public sector positions in AR have included Director, AR Department of Emergency Management/State Homeland Security Advisor; Chief Investigator, Professional Licensure Standards Board, AR Department of Education; and Chief of Police, Jacksonville. Wayne has also served as either a Senior Advisor, Subject Matter Expert, Consultant, Vice President, or Senior Program Manager to/for the US Department of Homeland Security; Department of Defense; FEMA; IA Department of Education; National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; and private companies SAIC, Leidos, Readiness Resource Group, L-3 Communications, Armada, and ABS Consulting.

Wayne is an Arkansas Tech University distinguished military graduate and member of the ROTC Hall of Honor. He is also a graduate of Webster University, the US Army Command and General Staff College, the US Air Force War College, and over 50 additional US and international military and civilian training courses/schools.

Wayne was born and raised in Mountain Home. He is married to the former Beverly Morgan. They have five daughters: Mary Frances, Melissa, Angela, Morgan, and Emily. They have also been blessed with 20 grandchildren, 11 boys and 9 girls.

Director of Veteran Services
Gina Chandler
Gina.Chandler@arkansas.gov

Director of Long-Term Care 
Danny Luncsford
Danny.Luncsford@arkansas.gov